Things Worth Wasting
by athlynn17
Summary: Doumeki has just moved in with Watanuki and the latter doesn't think it's such a good idea.


A loud yell that emerged from the kitchen made Doumeki throw the newspaper he was reading aside and then rush to the source of the strangled voice at once. For all he knew, the malevolent electricity-manipulating spirit could be back.

The white and translucent being with a pair of sinister icy-cold blue eyes was last seen strangling a struggling Watanuki two days ago with the rice cooker's electrical cord in the kitchen. It would have undoubtedly electrocuted the bespectacled boy to death while the lights flickered violently if Doumeki had not arrived in time. Apparently, even the immense number of wards set up at different places in the apartment could not hold this particular one out.

However, seeing a potentially stronger being than itself, the intimidated spirit left for good with a loud hiss that sent several light bulbs in the kitchen bursting into shards of glass, a sign that clearly showed that it would return again soon to get what it wanted.

A glass splinter flew past Doumeki's arm,making a deep crimson mark on it. Doumeki ignored it and hurriedly uncoiled the wire from around Watanuki's neck and held him tightly before the bespectacled boy started yelling afterwards (as an aftermath of the fear, Doumeki knew).

Doumeki decided to turn off the main switch, disallowing all electrical appliances to be switched on in the apartment that night, including the television and even the lights. Watanuki was disgruntled, and was particularly put out when he bandaged Doumeki's arm rather roughly. He turned in to bed very much earlier than he usually did most Friday nights, muttering things like 'There is no need to do this! I'm fine!', 'No television!' and 'I want the electricity back, damn it!'.

Upon the last of the rantings that Watanuki had failed to keep silent, Doumeki turned over on his side of the bed they shared, staring at Watanuki's back in the dark. "Well, you always said that you wanted to save electricity." That comment earned him two throbbing eardrums throughout the night.

Watanuki was very restless nowadays, even more than usual.

--

After hurrying his way to the kitchen with his archery bow, Doumeki was relieved that it was not the spirit that had caused Watanuki to yell like that. An apron-wearing Watanuki gave out another cry as Doumeki set his bow aside and leaned against the refrigerator.

"The rice's gone bad! It was kept in the fridge but it's still gone sour!" Watanuki hollered melodramatically, _ladling_ a small bit of rice in soup from the pot and tasting it. His face turned as sour as how Doumeki pictured the rice in the pot to be.

"Wh-what are you doing??" Watanuki was brushed aside suavely. Doumeki peered into the pot, took the ladle from the dumbfounded boy ,scooped up some and tasted it himself. It was sour alright. However,Watanuki stared in utmost horror as Doumeki took another mouthful.

"It's sour! It's gone bad! Stop eating it, you crazy bastard! Let's just throw it away!" Watanuki flailed hysterically at top volume but Doumeki looked as if his sense of hearing was really gone for good.

"Stop yelling. The neighbours are staring."

Watanuki stopped yelling at some inaudible mid-sentence and looked out of the window carefully. Indeed, the man that lived next door (suggestion: neighbour-san?hahaha) was staring right out of his window into Watanuki's a moment ago before he quickly dodged out of sight into his own apartment.

"I'm not wasting it, alright?" Doumeki said through a mouthful of soup. "I'm not wasting anything that has anything to do with you."Even if it meant dealing with crazy spirits, no electricity and sour rice, I would still have you, thought Doumeki.

"So stop worrying about me wasting everything else to move in here with you."

That was most probably the first spark that set the tension ablaze between them that had been building up for days, even before the electricity-spirit appeared.

"Um, hello?! You moved out of your parents' house to come here! For what?! You could've just have stayed there and gone to university! You should never have told them about us! Now look what you've done! You're wasting your whole future away, you idiot! You live here and you've been dragged into the mess that is MY LIFE! Not even a week has passed yet and so much craziness has happened already!"

Anger shrouded Watanuki's mind as the tension that had his chest heaving for days flowed out through the words from his mouth. _Why can't this idiot just see how stupid he is?_

"Stop telling me what I'm wasting away."

Doumeki stared at the pot of soup and scooped yet another mouthful, making Watanuki fume even more.

"Didn't all the trouble I put us through that nearly made you lose your life oh-so-many times make you realise that you should stay away from me? There is nothing here but trouble for you, don't you get it?! Quit wasting your life on me and go home!"

Doumeki furrowed his eyebrows. Yes, there were many things in this world that he wouldn't want to waste, but there was one thing that he didn't want to lose even if it meant wasting everything else in the world away.

"Don't YOU get it? I don't want to waste away my chance with you."And with that Doumeki threw himself forward and put his arms around Watanuki, holding him tightly.

"What the heck!" Watanuki screamed and flailed, face reddening with anger. But he was nowhere near a match for someone who practiced archery almost everyday back at high school.

"It really doesn't matter to me that I waste away everything else..."

He nestled his face into Watanuki's shoulder until he found the long burning red mark going all around his pale neck.

"...if I could save you from all these."

Tears begin to roll down Watanuki's face.

"You idiot, why are you still holding the ladle?" Watanuki muttered breathlessly halfway with his front pressed against the kitchen top.

"Oh." Doumeki quickly dumped the ladle back into the pot and turned hurriedly to finish what he started but was stopped when Watanuki grabbed his arm that halfway down his back.

"Promise me you won't waste that pot of rice away?"

Doumeki peered slightly wide-eyed at him. Watanuki gave a laugh.

"Okay, just joking. Pizza then, since nothing in the fridge seems right now."

Doumeki grunted a 'yes' and was permitted to continue.

But soon, lights begin to flicker again.

Doumeki swore so loudly that the whole apartment was spirit-free for a whole two days.


End file.
